Self-feeding bunker or trench silo construction



SELF-FEEDING BUNKER OR TRENCH SILO CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1956 F.V. HANSON Dec. 3, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 SELF-FEEDING BUNKER OR TRENCHSILO CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 25, 1956 F. V. HANSON Dec. 3, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. FL 0X0 1 H/M SUA BY ATTO/Q/VEYS UnitedStates Patent SELF-FEEDING BUNKER OR TREN CH SILO CONSTRUCTION Floyd V.Hanson, Gypsum, Kans.

Application September 25, 1956, Serial No. 611,937

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-58) This invention relates to a self-feeding bunkeror trench type silo.

The invention, summarized briefly, comprises an elongated, open-endedstructure having parallel, upstanding side walls. This structure may bemounted in a trench, or alternatively, upon the normal ground surfaceand is adapted to receive a quantity of feed or silage. Within thestructure there is provided a movable'panel or abutment assembly,sliding upon the side walls, and movable against one end of the quantityof feed. This includes a vertical wall extending transversely of andslidable upon the side walls of the elongated support structure, withthe transversely extending wall having vertically or horizontally spacedboards. At the lower end of the vertical Wall is hinged a fiap slidingalong the base of the stationary support structure. Spacedlongitudinally of said support structure from the vertical wall is across bar also sliding upon the side walls of the support structure, andconnected between the cross bar and the vertical wall are horizontal andinclined braces, extending along the inner surfaces of the side walls ofsaid structure.

One important object is to provide a generally improved structure of thecharacter described which will not have the deficiencies noted inconnection with structures of the same type previously devised. It hasbeen noted that trench or bunker silos tend, during cold weather, towardfreezing of the relative movable components, preventing access to thefeed contained in the device, and one important object of the presentinvention is to provide a structure of the character described whereinthe sliding abutment assembly will at all times be freely shiftablelongitudinally of the supporting structure, so that it may be pushedperiodically into engagement with the heap of silage, so as to alwaysremain at the end of the heap, despite regular depletion of the feed bythe feeding stock.

Another object is to provide a structure of the character described thatwill be characterized by its particularly great strength and resistanceto the pressures exerted thereagainst by the feeding stock, so as to beusable over a long period of time without requiring maintenance orrepair.

Another object is to form the device in such a manner as to adapt thesame for erection either in a trench or upon the normal ground surface,without more than minimum modification and redesign of the basicconstruction.

Another object is to permit erection of the device at a low cost,considering the side and strength thereof.

A further object is to form a self-feeding bunker or trench type silothat can be formed entirely from easily obtained materials, namely pipestock, boards, conventional pipe fittings, etc.

A further object is to design the silo in such a manner that merely bychanging in the size thereof, it can be used asa hog feeder.

Other objects will apear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a self-feeding silo according to theinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof as seen from the line 2--2of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 33 of Figure2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 4--4 of Figure2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the slidingabutment panel assembly, substantially on line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a transverse, detail sectional view, the scale beingenlarged still further, substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 5, showingthe hold-down means for the frame;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view on the same cutting plane as Figure5, the scale being enlarged above that in Figure 5, showing the detailsof the scoop or flap;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view on line 88 of Figure 5, showing thedetails of the connections at the rear end of the abutment panelassembly; and

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view on the same scale as Figure 3showing side brace means that may be employed.

Embedded in the ground G is a concrete slab 10 of rectangular shape andsubstantial length. It is not desired to restrict the protection soughtto a structure having particular dimensions or materials and no other,and hence, since the device can be made in various (depending, forexample, on whether cattle or hogs are to use the same) the dimensionsare not critical and will not be specified herein for each and everycomponent of the device.

Stationarily mounted on slab 10 is a support frame generally designated11 including upstanding, parallel side walls and cross-braced, openends.

Resting upon the respective side edge portions of slab 10 (see Figure 6)are elongated, longitudinal bottom rails 12 of the respective sidewalls, extending from end to end of the stationary support structure orframe. These are clamped at selected locations along their lengths toslab 10 as shown in Figure 6, through the provision of transversely andlongitudinally extending reinforcing rods 14 embedded in slab 10.Laterally spaced, upstanding anchoring bolts 16 are rigid with andextend upwardly from the ends of the transverse rods at opposite sidesof each bottom rail 12. A clamping strap 18 has smooth-Walled openingsin its ends receiving the bolts 16, and clamping nuts 20 are threaded onthe bolts to force the strap 18 against rail 12, to clamp the railbetween the strap and the slab.

Welded to and projecting upwardly from the ends of bottom rails 12 areend posts 22. These rise to a height sufficient to permit the livestock,or the farm workers, to pass freely under cross members 24 fixedlyconnected between the upper ends of posts 22 at each end of thestructure (see Figure 3). The fixed connection of the cross members 24is effected by extension of the ends of the cross members into sleeves26, with said ends being pinned at 28 to the sleeves, the sleeves beingwelded or otherwise fastened to the upper ends of posts 22.

Welded at their opposite ends to the upper end portions of posts 22, atlocations spaced downwardly a distance of perhaps two feet from theupper ends of the posts, are upper horizontal rails 30. At each side ofthe structure, base rail 12 and upper rail 30 are in a common verticalplane, and to provide the side walls of the structure, elongated,horizontally extending planks 32 having their edges in longitudinallycontacting relation are bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to verticalposts 34. Posts 34 are spaced uniformly apart longitudinally of thestructure between the end posts as best shown in Figure 2, in thevertical plane of rails 12, 30.

It is thus seen that vertical, elongated side walls are provided uponstructure, extending from end to end thereof, with said side walls beingcross-braced by the members 24, and being fixedly secured to andprojecting upwardly from the opposite sides of the slab 10. Confinedbetween the side walls is the silage or feed S.

The structure described can be mounted in a trench, to provide a trenchtype silo, and in this event, instead of planks 32 being used, the sidewalls could be provided by disposing forms against the inner surfaces ofthe wall frames defined by rails 12, 30 and posts 22, 34. Concrete wouldbe poured to a selected height within said forms.

In the illustrated example, however, a ground level or bunker type silois shown and in this event it may be and probably would be desirable toprovide side brace means to prevent the side walls of the structure frombeing forced outwardly by the feed or by the stock. To this end, asshown in Figure 9, spaced uniformly apart along the length of each sidewall would be inclined braces 36 welded or otherwise fixedly secured attheir upper ends to the top rails 30 and inclining downwardly, outwardlyfrom said top rails. The lower or outer ends of braces 36 are embeddedin concrete bases 38 spaced outwardly from slab 10.

Designated generally at 39 is a sliding abutment panel assembly. This isextended transversely of the structure between the side walls, and isadapted to slide longitudinally of the device from end to end thereof,to

v be maintained continuously against one end of the mass of silage S.The assembly 39 is so designed that it may be used in a silo in whichthe pitch of slab 10 is greatly increased over the slab pitch ofself-feeding silos previously designed. This is for the purpose ofreducing greatly the amount of cleaning of the silo floor necessaryafter its use by the stock.

Abutment panel assembly 39 includes a rear or outer cross bar 40 theends of which rest upon and are slidable longitudinally of the upperrails 30 as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. Provided at opposite ends ofthe outer cross bar 40 are connecting brackets each of which includes asleeve 42 normal to the length of cross bar 40, and a sleeve 44 weldedto and extending perpendicularly to sleeve 42 to receive the adjacentend of the cross bar 40. The brackets are disposed inwardly a shortdistance from the side rails 30, and as shown in Figure 8 the sleeves42, 44 are pinned at 46 to cross bar 40 and to inclined side members 48of the abutment panel as sembly. The side members 48 are disposed inclosely spaced relation to the respective side walls of the supportstructure.

The side members 48, at their inner, lower ends, are received in sleeves52 inclined correspondingly to the side members as shown in Figures and7. Sleeves 52 are welded to upwardly opening, vertically disposedsleeves 54, and are also welded or otherwise fixedly connected tohorizontally, inwardly extending sleeves 56 receiving the ends of alower inner cross bar 58 of assembl 39.

lteceived at their lower ends in the upwardly opening sleeves 54 arevertical side members 60 of assembly 39, and as shown in Figures 4 and5, fixedly connected at their opposite ends to and extending between theside members 60 are retaining boards or plates 62. These are spacedapart, with the spacing to be selected according to the particular useto which the silo is to be put.

Members 48, 58, 60 are pinned within their associated sleeves 52, 56, 54respectively.

The upper ends of the vertical side members 60 are extended into and arepinned to sleeves 64, welded at right angles to sleeves 66 that receivean upper inner cross bar 68 the ends of which rest upon and are freelyslidable upon the side rails 30 of the support structure in the samemanner as the ends of the outer cross bar 40 of assembly 39.

To brace the panel assembly longitudinally in cooperation with theinclined members 48, there are provided, at opposite side of saidassembly, horizontally disposed, longitudinally extending longitudinalbrace members 70 secured at their ends to the undersides of the crossbars 40, 68. Diagonally extending brace elements 50 are fixedlyconnected between members 70 and cross bar 40. The longitudinal members70 are disposed in a horizontal plane common to that of the upper siderails 30 of the support structure, and are in substantiallylongitudinally contacting relation to said rails 30 as shown in Figure4, thus to provide guide means during the sliding movement of theassembly 39. Any tendency of the assembly 39 to shift laterally ineither direction is limited by engagement of the members 70 against therespective side rails 30, so as to assure at all times free slidingmovement of the assembly 39 within the support structure.

A sliding flap or scoop means is provided at the inner end of theassembly 39, said scoop freely sliding upon the surface of the slab 10and extending the full width of the abutment panel assembly. The fiap orscoop includes a bottom plate 72, having a back edge welded to theundersides of hinge sleeves 74 that are spaced uniformly apart along thelength of and are freely rotatable upon the lower inner cross bar 58(see Figure 4). Bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the top surfaceof the plate 72 is a plank 76 the forward edge of which may be beveledas shown in Figure 7. Plate 72 slides along the slab surface, so as toscoop up any silage or feed in its path, to prevent said silage frommoving under the abutment panel assembly in a manner that would tend toleave a deposit of said silage upon the slab, or that might tend to clogthe :space between the slab and the abutment panel assembly, incircumstances that might prevent freezing of the relative movablecomponents.

To limit the swinging flap against endwise movement, said collars 78 aresecured to the cross bar 58, bearing against the outermost hinge sleeves74 (see Figure 4).

As will be apparent, the structure can be made of any desired size, andin a typical embodiment used in the feeding of cattle, the side walls ofthe support structure would be 40 feet long and approximately 7 feethigh, with the end posts 22 rising to a height of approximately 9 feet.As previously mentioned, the dimensions might be varied, but these areprovided to give some idea as to the overall size of the size of thestructure. When the device is used in the feeding of hogs, it would beof smaller size, but basically, the design would remain unchanged. Inthis manner, the grain might be allowed to fall through the rear part ofthe flap or scoop, into another catch scoop so that the hogs can feedconveniently therefrom.

When used during the feeding of cattle, the abutment panel assembly 39is periodically shifted to the right in Figure 2, so that the silage Sis accessible to the cattle, which feed through the space between theboards 62, with the silage being conveniently disposed to be consumed bythe stock. The provision of the scoop, of course, prevents silage frommoving under the abutment panel, thus preventing waste thereof. Theabutment panel assembly, and in particular the vertically disposedportion thereof defined by the vertical members 60 and transverselyextending plates 62, defines a feed rack or manger, so designed that thefeed can be readily withdrawn by the feeding stock.

Another important characteristic of the invention resides in the factthat the abutment panel assembly is so designed as to be freely slidableupon the side walls of the support structure, so that there is no dangerof freezing of the feed rack or manger in a particular position alongthe length of the side walls. At the same time, a very strong,relatively inexpensive structure is provided, that would require aminimum of maintenance or repair.

Sleeves 26 may be secured to posts 22 at an angle such that the postsmay diverge in a direction upwardly from the slab with the sleeves stillextending horizontally to receive bar 24. The silo would thus have sidessloping in a direction upwardly outwardly from the slab. The angle ofsleeves 64, 66, 44, and 42 would be changed in these circumstancessufficiently to cause assembly 39 to remain at a constant, closedistance from the sloped side walls of the silo. It would also benecessary to change the angle on sleeves 52 and 54 which are fastened tosleeve 56. Pipes 58, 40, and 68, and bracing posts 36, may be lengthenedor shortened as desired.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-feeding silo comprising a support structure includingelongated side walls transversely spaced for deposit of silagetherebetween; and an abutment panel assembly freely slidable upon theside walls and extending transversely therebetween, said assemblyincluding a feed rack disposed in a vertical plane, the feed rackincluding along its upper edge a pair of longitudinally spaced crossbarsthe ends of which rest upon and slide on the top edges of the sidewalls, means connecting said crossbars together and engageable with saidside walls for holding said assembly against lateral movement, said rackbeing formed intermediate its top and bottom edges with a space throughwhich the silage is accessible to feeding stock, and a flap hinged tothe lower edge of the feed rack and extending substantially the fulldistance between the side walls, said flap gravitating into engagementwith the bottom of the support structure to prevent silage from movingunder the feed rack.

Z. A self-feeding silo comprising a support structure includingelongated side walls transversely spaced for deposit of silagetherebetween; and an abutment panel assembly freely slidable upon theside walls and extending transversely therebetween, said assemblyincluding a feed rack disposed in a vertical plane, the feed rackincluding along its upper edge a cross bar the ends of which rest uponand slide on the top edges of the side walls, said rack being formedintermediate its top and bottom edges with a space through which thesilage is accessible to feeding stock, and a flap hinged to the loweredge of the feed rack and extending substantially the full distancebetween the side walls, said flap gravitating into engagement with thebottom of the support structure to prevent silage from moving under thefeed rack, said assembly further including a second cross bar spacedlongitudinally of the side walls from the first named cross bar with itsends also resting upon and freely slidable on the top edges of the sidewalls, including side members fixedly connected between the end portionsof the second named cross bar and the lower corners of the feed rack,and horizontal side members fixedly connected between the upper cornersof the feed rack and the end portions of the second'named cross bar.

3. A self-feeding silo comprising a support structure includingelongated side walls transversely spaced for deposit of silagetherebetween; and an abutment panel assembly freely slidable upon theside walls and extending transversely therebetween, said assemblyincluding a feed rack disposed in a vertical plane, the feed rackincluding along its upper edge a cross bar the ends of which rest uponand slide on the top edges of the side walls, said rack being formedintermediate its top and bottom edges with a space through which thesilage is accessible to feeding stock, and a flap hinged to the loweredge of the feed rack and extending substantially the full distancebetween the side walls, said flap gravitating into engagement with thebottom of the support structure to prevent silage from moving under thefeed rack, said assembly further including a second cross bar spacedlongitudinally of the side walls from the first named cross bar with itsends also resting upon and freely slidable on the top edges of the sidewalls, inclined side members fixedly connected between the end portionsof the second named cross bar and the lower corners of the feed rack,and horizontal side members fixedly connected between the upper cornersof the feed rack and the end portions of the second-named cross bar, thehorizontal side members being disposed in closely spaced, parallelrelation to the top edges of the side walls, to guide said assemblyduring its sliding movement along the side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,520,555 Major Aug. 29, 1950 2,691,359 Antiss et a1. Oct. 2, 19542,768,607 McClure Oct. 30, 1956

